Third Time the Charm
by KYTIVAFAN
Summary: It takes hearing something three times before Tony is almost ready for action. Based off of published spoilers for NCIS 9.20 The Missionary Position. Features Ziva's mentor Monique Lisson, but very much a Tiva story.


Tony DiNozzo had a myriad of emotions rolling through his soul and he felt as if he were being eaten alive.

Anger was the only emotion that he was willing to acknowledge at the moment and the perfect opportunity to vent a little of the pressure just presented itself.

"What the hell was that?" he snapped as Monique Lisson walked through the door of what served as an Interpol safe house in Colombia, but was actually little more than a gardening shed complete with requisite foul smelling compost.

"Excuse me?" answered Monique as she took off the heavy duffle and started to remove the various sundry of weapons from hidden pockets.

"You heard me. What were you thinking when that gunman opened fire on us?"

"I was doing my job"

"Your job is to protect Lt Matthew, not abandon her and join in a fire fight with Ziva"

Monique narrowed her eyes and Tony could see where she would be a force to be reckoned with.

"You are very much mistaken Very Special Agent DiNozzo. It is _your_ job to protect Lt Matthew. I am here for Ziva and for Ziva alone."

Tony wasn't sure what answer he was expecting, but that wasn't it and he felt another of his suppressed emotions start to rise to the surface.

"And what _exactly_ does that mean?"

Monique replied with a dismissive shrug and a secret keeping smile before returning to the task of unpacking the duffle "Exactly that. I have little interest beyond human compassion in regards to _your_ mission. My intentions here are to keep Ziva safe. If I can do that, I will consider this rescue mission successful, regardless of whatever else may transpire. If on the other hand, in my attempt to keep Ziva out of danger, I am also able to keep Lt Matthew safe – so much the better, don't you agree?"

Tony felt the anger being pushed to the back, as that other emotion began to take front and center in his psyche.

"Does Ziva know?"

Monique chuckled "Of course not. She would be appalled at this conversation. We shall keep this our little secret."

Tony pushed on "I am not talking about that. What I want to know is does Ziva know that you love her?"

Monique flashed that secret keeping smile again and Tony felt his stomach cramp.

"Of course she does"

"And she loves you?"

"She does"

Tony wanted to pace, he needed to move or the emotions would catch up to him, but the confines of the small shed didn't allow for that. He knew that Ziva and Monique were close and had a strong emotional attachment, but this…

Seeing his obvious distress, Monique decided that she was done playing with Tony's emotions.

She had noticed on their first day together that Tony had seemed almost jealous of the bond she shared with Ziva. And it was that jealousy that she had cruelly been playing with for the past few days. If she was honest with herself, she had to admit that _she _was jealous of what she saw between Ziva and Tony. Not because she had the type of feelings for Ziva that Tony was imagining at this precise moment, but jealousy of what could have been, but wasn't.

She had always put the job or the mission first, never slowing down long enough to allow love, husband or family to become a possibility for her. For her it was too late, but it wasn't too late for them. She recognized the feelings that the two had for each other, even if they weren't ready to acknowledge those feelings to themselves or to each other. She knew there was never as much time as one thought, and she didn't want Ziva – or Tony - sharing her regrets.

Reaching out she gently grabbed his arm, "Tony. Ziva is like a sister to me, as I am to her. Of course, we love each other. We are family, and I would do anything for her. I am not your competition for her heart. You already have that"

Now, it was Tony's turn to be confused "What?"

Monique laughed and asked "Must I spell it out for you?"

Tony blinked "Yeah, I think you are going to have to, because I have no idea what you are talking about"

Monique gave him the look that he had seen her give Ziva several times the past few days and he could have sworn he heard a barely discernible 'tsk, tsk' from her.

"Tell her Tony."

Tony couldn't believe he was hearing the same words from Monique that he had heard from EJ and Wendy. Was there some kind of female telepathy wave that broadcast these things over land and sea?

When Tony didn't answer, Monique sighed, but continued "If you are waiting for her to give you a sign, then you will be waiting for a very long time. She has been deeply hurt, and while she trusts you with her life, she doesn't trust you with her heart. Not yet. But you can move things along, if you would just be honest with her. Tell her how you feel."

It was Tony's natural response to deny, to deflect or to just simply walk away and he almost did just that, but then he decided that hearing those words for the third time from three different women that it was maybe time for a different course of action after all.

Pausing in his walk to the door, he turned back to Monique and answered "Soon. I will tell her, soon."

He didn't see the secret smile that Monique flashed as walked out nor did he hear her departing words "Godspeed, Agent DiNozzo"


End file.
